United News of Bangladesh

Transparency International’s (TI) International Board Chair François Valérian on Thursday said that corruption in Bangladesh still persists, although it has declined since the July uprising. “Identifying where the laundered money has gone and bringing it back is urgent. This requires coordinated action with the relevant countries,” Valérian told a press conference at a city hotel. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) organised the press conference marking his visit to Bangladesh. Noting that reform initiatives are underway in different sectors, Valérian said it is too early to predict how the situation will unfold in the future. “Corruption still exists in Bangladesh, but it has decreased after the July uprising,” he added. PIB director suspended over corruption allegations TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said some preventive measures have been taken against money laundering, particularly through loan mechanisms, which have somewhat reduced the outflow. He mentioned banking sector reforms but emphasised that money laundering continues and that prevention should be prioritised, as recovering laundered money is very difficult. According to Dr Iftekharuzzaman, the amount laundered in recent years exceeded more than twice the volume of foreign aid and investment Bangladesh received annually. He said curbing the practice and recovering stolen assets remain essential, citing some success such as the freezing of assets in the United Kingdom. François Valérian arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday for a three-day visit and this is his first trip to Bangladesh since being elected Chair of TI’s International Board in 2023. During the visit, he met TIB officials, presidents of 45 district-based Committees of Concerned Citizens (CCC), leaders of 65 Youth Engagement and Support (YES) platforms, as well as stakeholders from government and non-government sectors, civil society representatives and media professionals. Witnesses start testifying against ousted PM Hasina, family members in Purbachal plot corruption cases A noted academic and researcher, Valérian has been serving at TI’s International Board since 2019 and contributed to several key committees before being elected Chair.

As Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus begins his official visit to the United Kingdom, anti-corruption campaigners from both countries have urged the UK government to take stronger action in helping Bangladesh trace and recover assets allegedly stolen by the previous regime. Transparency International Bangladesh, Transparency International UK and Spotlight on Corruption jointly called for the UK authorities to impose sanctions on individuals from the Bangladeshi elite suspected of serious corruption and to step up enforcement efforts to seize suspicious assets located in Britain, said a press release of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) issued on Tuesday. Iftekhar Zaman, executive director of TIB said “The UK needs to act urgently to make the most of this rare window for democratic transition and accountable governance in Bangladesh. The return of stolen wealth should be a central plank of ongoing anti-corruption reform efforts in the country and a powerful message that money laundering is in the end effectively held to account in both source and destination”.  Susan Hawley, executive director of Spotlight on Corruption, said “There is no time to lose for the UK Government to put Anti-Corruption sanctions in place to make sure Bangladeshi assets linked to misappropriation and bribery are frozen here and in the UK’s overseas territories. This will give law enforcement agencies crucial time to pursue cases and recover these assets and send a strong message that those linked to grand corruption cannot get away with looting assets with impunity.” Duncan Hames, director of Policy at Transparency International UK, said “Having declared a war on money laundering, the UK should immediately investigate the £400 million in British properties tied to Sheikh Hasina's associates and seize any assets linked to corruption. Swift action would prove Britain's commitment to accountability isn't just rhetoric, and support Bangladesh's quest for democratic renewal.” Airbus, Menzies Aviation executives meet Prof Yunus in London Investigations by The Observer and Transparency International UK have identified at least £400 million worth of UK properties allegedly owned by close associates of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. The UK’s National Crime Agency has reportedly frozen £90 million worth of these assets. Chief Adviser Yunus, who heads Bangladesh’s interim government, has pledged to root out corruption and recover public funds allegedly stolen during Hasina’s 15-year tenure. A government-commissioned white paper estimates that some $234 billion was siphoned out of the country between 2009 and 2023—equivalent to about $16 billion a year. The British high commissioner in Dhaka has pledged support to Bangladesh’s interim government in restoring peace and ensuring accountability. Meanwhile, the UK Foreign Secretary has stated that the “golden age of money laundering is over.” Sheikh Hasina’s government fell in August 2024 following weeks of mass protests led by student movements demanding democratic reforms.

Bangladesh has slipped two positions in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2024, ranking 151st out of 180 countries. Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman revealed the findings  on Tuesday at a press conference marking the release of TI’s annual corruption index. The country recorded its lowest score in 13 years, scoring 23 out of 100, a one-point drop from the previous year. In 2023, Bangladesh ranked 149th. Read: Bangladesh ranks 146th in corruption index: TIB The CPI scores countries on a scale from 0 to 100, with 0 indicating the highest level of corruption and 100 representing the highest level of governance. According to the latest index, Bangladesh has the second-lowest score in South Asia, ahead of only war-torn Afghanistan, which scored 17. From 2012 to 2022, Bangladesh’s CPI score ranged between 25 and 28. However, it dropped to 24 in 2023 and further declined to 23 in 2024, falling three points below the 13-year average. Denmark retained its position as the least corrupt country with a score of 90, followed by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). Read: Bangladesh slips two ranks in Corruption Index 2023 South Sudan ranked as the most corrupt country in 2024, with a score of 8, followed by Somalia (9) and Venezuela (10). Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is produced annually by the international secretariat of Transparency International (TI), the Berlin-based global coalition against corruption. The index was first globally introduced in 1995 while Bangladesh was first included in it in 2001, according to TIB.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), a civil society watchdog, has again called for the repeal of the Digital Security Act on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day.  The Bangladesh chapter of Transparency International, which fights corruption globally, also called upon the government to create a congenial environment to ensure all basic rights including security of life of the media workers. The organisation made the demands at a media release signed by its Director (Outreach and Communication) Sheikh Manjur E Alam on Tuesday. TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said, “The government should ensure a congenial environment for the media so that they can perform their duties without any obstruction as the fourth pillar of the country.” He said although the number of media increased in the country remarkably, on the other hand fearless journalism also decreased. Read more: Free journalist Shams, repeal DSA: TIB “They are being obstructed due to harassment, attacks and lawsuits by the use of state mechanisms under the shadow of those in power,” he said. The TIB executive director noted that Bangladesh slid 10 places in the ‘2022 World Press Freedom Index’, placing  162nd out of 180 countries. The 2023 index is slated for release this week by Reporters Without Borders, also known by its French acronym RSF (Reporters sans frontières). Iftekharuzzaman alleged that the DSA has been abusedleading to journalists being implicated in one out of every four cases filed under the act. Journalists now engage in self-censorship due to attacks on the media workers, lack of justice and fear of the DSA, he added.  

Information Minister Hasan Mahmud has rejected Bangladesh’s ranking in the Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2020.